China: Xinjiang Residents Ordered To Hand In Passports

Millions of residents in China’s mainly Muslim northwestern Xinjiang region have been told they must hand in their passports to local police stations for “examination and management” according to Global Times, a state-controlled newspaper. In the latest draconian move citizens were told they must turn in their documents to police and apply to get them back if they want to travel and follows numerous reports of tightened passport controls in cities across the region. According to Human Rights Watch, the passport recall policy has been in place since at least late October. Al Jazeera reports: While the order covers everyone living in the area, many members of Xinjiang’s more than 10 million-strong Muslim Uighur minority complain of discrimination – including denials of passport applications – as well as controls on their culture and religion. In mid-October, the public security bureau of Shihezi city posted a directive on a verified social media account asking residents to hand in their passports to police. The order stated: “Those who refuse to hand them in will bear the responsibility themselves should there be consequences such as being forbidden to go abroad.” The post was later deleted. Photos of other notices posted on social media showed police […] The post China: Xinjiang Residents Ordered To Hand In Passports appeared first on Your News Wire.